PDLP Chapter 19 Xu Jiaojiao has been lying to him all along.
Chapter 19 Xu Jiaojiao has been lying to him all along.
A bad feeling welled up in Zhao Yunzheng's heart. He struggled to get up and walked towards the study.
In the study, there was still a large plate of pastries that he hadn't finished eating.
When they arrived at the study, the princess was already waiting with witnesses and physical evidence.
Upon seeing him arrive, everyone in the room rose and bowed in greeting.
Zhao Yunzheng's headache worsened.
Seeing that the pastries on the desk were gone, he suppressed his anger and looked impatiently at the princess: "Where are the pastries?"
Granny Wang immediately served pastries, and thoughtfully placed two silver needles in the dish.
The butterfly cookies on the plate were uniquely shaped, exactly the same as the plate Xu Jiaojiao had given him that afternoon, or rather, the plate he hadn't finished.
Zhao Yunzheng picked up a silver needle, but hesitated to insert it to probe for poison.
Upon seeing this, witness Chen Xi knelt down with a thud.
Seeing Prince Chen looking over, she immediately took a few steps forward, trying her best to attract his attention: "Your Highness, this servant is Chen Xi, a maidservant from the Sixth Courtyard of the West!"
A few days ago, when I was sweeping, I passed by Shi Nuan Pavilion and saw Concubine Xu and her maid Lianye pouring something into the water vat in the courtyard. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but today when I heard that Your Highness was poisoned, I immediately thought of this matter!
"Worried about the prince's safety, I dared not conceal the truth and immediately revealed Xu Jiaojiao's crimes to the princess."
She looked up, staring intently at Prince Chen, hoping he would glance at her and remember her face.
Chen Xi believed that with her beautiful and refined appearance, she would surely win the favor of Prince Chen.
But Prince Chen only looked at the pastries in his hand from beginning to end, completely ignoring her.
Zhao Yunzheng's face was ashen, and he felt a dull pain in his chest.
Could it be that Xu Jiaojiao has been deceiving him all along? Was all the tender affection she showed just a facade?
No, it won't!
If it is a disguise, then it is acting in front of others and scheming behind their backs.
Xu Jiaojiao didn't even know he was in the tree that night, so why would she need to pretend?
There must be more to this story!
"Bring Xu Jiaojiao up!" Zhao Yunzheng's thin lips were tightly pressed together, and his face was extremely gloomy.
Chen Xi looked at the Prince Chen, who was radiating a murderous aura, and felt secretly pleased with himself.
With Prince Chen so angry, Xu Jiaojiao has absolutely no chance of turning the tables this time! Her days of being favored by Chen Xi are about to begin!
Before long, Xu Jiaojiao was taken to Mingqian Courtyard.
Hearing the noise, Zhao Yunzheng looked up.
Their eyes met, and Xu Jiaojiao's slightly reddened eyes were filled with moisture, as if she was about to shed tears at any moment.
Feeling Zhao Yunzheng's gaze, she lowered her head in a flustered manner, her thick pubic hair trembling slightly, like a curtain that completely concealed all the emotions in her eyes.
With just one glance, Zhao Yunzheng sensed her grievance.
He stared intently at Xu Jiaojiao, his dark eyes filled with complex emotions: "Xu Jiaojiao, did you make these pastries yourself?"
Xu Jiaojiao nodded slightly: "It was made by me alone, without the help of anyone else."
Unwilling to accept this, Zhao Yunzheng questioned again, word by word: "Was it truly not done by someone else?"
Xu Jiaojiao looked completely lost, her body trembling slightly: "I dare not lie to you."
The princess took a sip of tea and spoke calmly, "Madam Xu, are you aware that the pastries contain aconite powder?"
Xu Jiaojiao's face drained of color. She bit her lip tightly, as if she had suffered a terrible injustice, shaking her head in panic and confusion. Then she murmured, "No...impossible...I made these butterfly cookies myself, there's no way such a thing could have been there..."
Perhaps out of fear, Xu Jiaojiao was so frightened that she couldn't even kneel down.
Lianye, who was standing nearby, quickly helped Xu Jiaojiao up, her eyes full of heartache, and looked at Prince Chen, hesitant to speak.
Xu Jiaojiao looked at Prince Chen, her eyes filled with helplessness: "Your Highness, I would never dare to poison you! I beg you to see the truth..."
Chen Xi scoffed and said disdainfully, "I saw you throw something into the water vat with my own eyes. How could that be fake? Do you want the imperial physician to find out what you threw in before you'll confess?"
Xu Jiaojiao shook her head, her eyes reddening with anxiety, and hurriedly explained, "No, no, I didn't use the water from the water vat..."
Chen Xi retorted sharply, "You say it's useless, so it's useless? Are you just saying that because you're guilty and afraid to let the imperial physician examine you?"
Xu Jiaojiao choked back tears, "I really didn't..."
The princess said calmly, "Whether it exists or not can be found out with a simple investigation. Coincidentally, Physician Zhang is still at the residence. Someone, go to Shi Nuan Pavilion and bring the water vat here. Be careful, or you will be held responsible if it breaks or spills!"
Soon, the water tank was brought over.
The imperial physician took some water and used a silver needle to probe for poison. He also lightly smelled the water and tasted it.
The silver needles indeed turned black, and the imperial physician's expression changed drastically: "Your Highness, there is indeed aconite powder in the water!"
Xu Jiaojiao froze, as if she had heard some outrageous fantasy, shaking her head in disbelief: "How...how could this be..."
Seeing her pitiful appearance, on the verge of tears, Zhao Yunzheng felt a dull ache in his heart.
He concealed the disappointment in his eyes: "Ms. Xu, do you have something to say?"
Hearing Prince Chen address her so coldly as Madam Xu, Xu Jiaojiao's eyes flashed with grievance, and large tears fell one by one, helpless and desperate: "I didn't poison her... I really didn't poison her..."
Seeing Xu Jiaojiao's panicked state, Chen Xi felt extremely pleased.
What a useless piece of trash. She's been talking for so long, but she can't even say a word in rebuttal. All she does is cry.
Not only Chen Xi looked down on Xu Jiaojiao, but the other women present also felt the same way.
Chen Xi's framing was so obvious. If Xu Jiaojiao were just a little smarter and asked Prince Chen to investigate the source of Chuanwu San, this situation could be easily resolved.
Xu Jiaojiao was clearly too stupid.
All she could do was cry.
A barely perceptible hint of mockery and relief flickered in Bai Yiru's eyes.
Fortunately, she didn't eat the pastries on that plate. If Prince Chen was so healthy, he was already like this. If it were her, she would probably have died seven or eight times over by now.
Zhou Yingyue just watched coldly, with great disdain.
Xu Jiaojiao is indeed beautiful, but unfortunately she has no brains. She can't even solve this problem with such a low-level method. Even if she manages to escape this time, she will only suffer a tragic death in the future.
Cao Lingyun looked bewildered and huddled fearfully in the maid's arms, seemingly still not understanding what had happened.
The princess's eyes were unreadable, revealing little emotion, but there was a hint of anticipation and excitement in them.
Many of the maids and servants in the room watched coldly. One or two of them sensed that there might be something else going on, but none of them dared to say a word.
They understand the principle of self-preservation.
Zhao Yunzheng was surprised that Xu Jiaojiao couldn't even utter a single word of rebuttal.
How could he believe that she hadn't poisoned him?
Zhao Yunzheng felt a tightness in his chest.
He had thought that Xu Jiaojiao would be different from other women; she would be his one and only confidante, a pure and innocent confidante.
Unexpectedly, this seemingly understanding woman's heart was full of filth, malice, and hypocrisy.
Zhao Yunzheng's eyes were filled with disappointment: "I'm tired. The Princess Consort will handle this matter. You may all leave..."
The princess bowed slightly and said, "Yes."
Having received the message, the princess glanced at Xu Jiaojiao and said, "Guards, take Xu back to the secret room and deal with her after we find out the truth."
As he watched Xu Jiaojiao being dragged out, Zhao Yunzheng suppressed the gloom in his heart and looked away, refusing to watch any longer.
"Hiss..." Just as everyone was about to leave, the imperial physician, who had been studying the water, suddenly exclaimed, "Something's wrong!"